Only teams that are able to turn professional and sustain 16 hours of daytime coaching per week while running an academy will be eligible to stay in the top tier under the new plans.

As a part-time club, Yeovil must now find £350,000 - a figure around three and a half times their annual turnover - in order to turn professional and have a chance of keeping their top flight status.

It is a bitter blow for a club that has risen from grass roots football to WSL1 purely on merit to now find itself in a position where their top flight future will be determined based on happenings off the field.

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Sunderland Ladies are another top flight team in Yeovil's position, with the Weirside club also a part-time outfit.

While the FA hopes that the changes will lead to a more professional women's football setup and give the England team a greater chance of achieving success on the world stage, reaction to the proposals have been broadly negative.

In particular concern to supporters is what the changes will mean for the Lady Glovers, who stand to be one of the biggest losers from the restructure.

Yeovil Town Ladies are back in league action on Saturday when they travel to local rivals Bristol City Women.

The club will be looking to take the positives from their opening day 4-0 defeat at home to powerhouses Manchester City and get their FA WSL1 campaign up and running.